Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL), which originally started production of newsprint using a sugarcane residue called bagasse, has ramped up its research and development (R&D) spend nearly four times to ' 12.5 crore in the last two years, according to a company official, and the return on investment was Rs 50 crore.
In his address at a panel discussion ‘ICT 2020: Tamil Nadu Surging Ahead'’ at Connect 2010, Rajeev Ranjan, chairman, TNPL, said the company was focusing its in-house R&D efforts on recycled paper and zero liquid discharge from the paper plant, which is thought to be energy- and water-consuming.
TNPL’s current production capacity is at 245,000 tonnes per annum and it consumes about one million tonnes of bagasse every year, making it the largest bagasse-based paper mill in the world. The company is in the process of implementing its mill expansion plan.
